Audi to Launch TTQ Offroader in 2017 Due to Fight With Fiat Over Q4 Name

The name TTQ has apparently been chosen because the deal between Audi and Fiat to buy the Q2 and Q4 names is stuck. So the German company has decided that the coupe version of a Q3 might as well be moved to the TT family, which has the added benefit of "not overcrowding the Q corral."

CAR magazine says it has insider information on the future of Audi MQB-based compacts. Both the TT Allroad, which was a shooting brake version of the TT, and the TT Sportback, which was a four-door coupe, have been deemed unsuitable for production due to their lack of practicality.

The German top brass has decided the TT Offroad has the high driving position and practical family-oriented boot design that every crossover buyer wants. So this has been approved for production and will arrive in 2017.

Since this is a compact car, measuring only 4.4 meters, we don't expect the styling to be as aggressive as BMW's Sports Activity Coupes, the X4 and X6, which are larger. However, the TTQ will have a chopped roofline that's expected to be 60mm (2.3 inches) lower than that of a Q3.

TTQ in 2017 – Why the delay?

With the Polo SUV expected in 2016 or later and SEAT or Skoda's models in 2017, it feels like every Volkswagen brand is late to take advantage of the increased demand for crossovers. Audi is the same and we're not even sure if the TTQ will arrive in 2017, like CAR says. The Q3 desperately needs to move onto the MQB platform to lose some weight. Since it's a high-volume car, this should take priority over another member of the TT family, right?

But considering the TT has won an unexpected number of awards and set the benchmark for premium coupe interiors, we're anxious too see what will happen when they give it a set of Wellington boots and send it offroading.

Remember that the all-new Q7 SUV has an e-tron version with a plug-in hybrid drivetrain? The TTQ is bound to have one as well, likely using separate electric motors for the front and rear axles.